India, UK Navies begin 'Exercise Konkan' featuring aircraft carrier strike groups

The Indian Navy and the UK’s Royal Navy on Sunday commenced a maritime exercise involving aircraft carriers from both countries.

The drill features what is known in naval parlance as a ‘carrier strike group’ — that includes fighter jets and copters operating from the aircraft carrier’s deck, accompanied by other warships and submarines. These units receive live situational updates from surveillance planes and satellites.

Named ‘Exercise Konkan,’ the eight-day (October 5-12) event is being conducted off India’s western seaboard in two phases. The sea phase will focus on complex maritime operational drills, focusing on anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and anti-submarine exercises, flying operations and other seamanship evolutions.

Both participating nations will deploy frontline assets, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, and integral and shore based air assets.

The Indian side will be represented by the carrier battle group of the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in company with other warships, submarines and air craft.

The UK Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG 25), is led by HMS Prince of Wales, including assets from Norway and Japan.

Over the past two decades, this exercise has grown significantly in scale and complexity, fostering enhanced interoperability and mutual understanding in maritime operations between the two navies, the Indian Navy said.

This exercise is a reaffirmation of the shared commitment to ensuring secure, open and free seas and will exemplify the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership outlined in ‘India-UK Vision 2035’, the Navy said.

Exercise Konkan 2025 will serve as a platform to consolidate strategic ties, enhance interoperability and contribute to regional maritime stability.

The UK Navy’s air-assets fighter jets, on October 14, is to   carry out a day long exercise with the Indian Air Force off the western coast of India. The UK flotilla is on an eight-month deployment – started in April — across Asia and Indo-Pacific called ’Operation Highmast’.